I am Private First Class Gregory Jones. I am dying. Lying in mud and surrounded by sounds of war; I am unable to move or feel my legs. No blood is coming out of the two cauterized holes the elite's blade made in my stomach, nor from my back where the blade severed my spine and cost me my legs. My insides are screaming from the burning as I try to fight off shock and unconsciousness.

Three days ago the UNSC dropped us in this hellhole, me and my squad of nine other marines were assigned to hit the Covenant communications center at Checkpoint Alpha. That check point was still three clicks away. Damn Covvies were waiting on the edge of the perimeter for us. Knew we were coming. Privates Lopez, Anderson and Dockery were hit first, their bodies flying apart from a couple of plasma grenades.

I ran. Fucking ran. Didn't stand with my squad to fight the bastards. Lt. Briggs yelled after me just before I heard him scream in pain. All of them screamed as I ran. What a fucking coward. I guess I am getting what I deserve. For two days I laid in mud and shit and whatever else would keep me from being detected. Couldn't even bring myself to kill a damn grunt that wondered too close. Just laid there in this world's shit trying to survive.

The planet's surface had since turned into an all out war. Guess when we couldn't take the comm. station down they said screw it and assaulted anyway. Idiots. I spent hours watching the battle overhead - Longswords and Pelicans bursting into flames and usually managing to take a few Covenant craft with them. All in all a futile effort. But at least they were fighting. And dying.

I tried to make my way to them, even though I didn't know what would be waiting for me if I got off this hellhole. Court martial? Execution? Hell I didn't know. They may have just sent my sorry ass back down here.

I got my spine back when I reached 2nd platoon. How fucking ironic is that? It was all because of her. My Amy. Looked like her anyway. Amy never made it off Harvest though. I had been on my way there when that planet was glassed. Another case of the UNSC not knowing what the hell they were doing and sending in the cavalry after the slaughter was over.

Sgt. Burke was her name. Tough looking woman. She was in charge without having to say a damned word. She started to shout an order just before half her face blew off. I stood there motionless as she fell lifelessly. Gunfire erupted but I didn't hear any of it. I was focused solely on her lying on the ground, her body convulsing as blood gushed onto the ground. So much so that I didn't see the elite as it sprinted from the other side of her body and in two strides crashed into me, its sword stabbing clean through.

I wince as my head turned to look at her. I want to scream but my lungs don't have the air. Bugs are already making their way in and out of her skull like there isn't a damned war going on. I hear the gunfire now loud as hell. My head is pounding and my vision is blurring. Grunts and growls and screams fill the air. Another goddamned slaughter. And this time ain't no running.

A heavy foot lands beside my head and I turn to see an elite stepping away from me as it slices through a young soldier. His freckled face displays horror as his head falls in an arc opposite what used to be its body. Too much fucking death. I hear a nearby clack as the butt of the young soldier's assault rifle hits the ground and then falls over, its barrel resting upon my chest like a child seeking comfort.

Well, what in the hell do I have to be scared of now? I am dying aren't I? Maybe I can try being a fucking soldier. My eyes follow the elite as it begins to get showered with bullets, its shield popping and failing as the monster's sword finds another victim. I fumble with the gun until my finger slides over the trigger and I take some half-ass aim at the monster a few feet from me. The assault rifle moves around unsteadily as I try to get my shaking arm stilled.

Confident in my current aim I pull the trigger and the gun immediately kicks into the air and across my body, its barrel aiming one hundred and eighty degrees from its intended target. A couple of its bullets found the mark though as the elite howled in pain; fresh blood coming from its right leg and lower back. I pulled the gun back to bear just as its hoof slammed into my wrist and pinned it to the ground. I scream out as pain and fire shoots up my arm; the Elite's blade severing my hand.

The lurching creature raises its weapon to the sky as the midday sun obscures my view of my pending death. A movement too quick to follow slammed into the gloating beast and knocks it several feet away. The emerald green armor of the Spartan shines bright as the Elite's head explodes from a round from his pistol.

All around me I notice Covenant starting to die. A Jackal close to me looks around frantically as his chest erupts into a shower of purple. On the edge of the clearing across from me another large Spartan rolls and stabs an elite through the neck before twisting and snapping the neck of a grunt beside it.

As ferociously as the battle had started, the Spartans had ended it. I see Pelicans hovering in the distance, closing in on us. The pivot and turn gracefully, lowering themselves several yards away. "Really? Again?" I hear one of the Spartan's say in a disgusted tone.

"Yes, we have to evacuate. The planet is lost and the Covenant are on the verge of glassing it. Time to go."

With a renewed strength I try to turn myself over, to call out, but my body fails and I fall back. "Help me!" My voice is dry and cracking, barely above a whisper. I stretch out my left arm as the Pelican door closes.

My arm falls and my strength leaves. Tears stream from my eyes as I look up to the sky. The pelicans are now barely visible as I lay in an eerie calm. From what could be miles away a beam of light shoots down to the ground. Everything begins to shake. I look for anything that might save me, but there is nothing. The air is heating rapidly as my skin starts to burn. Damn it hurts. I try to let out one last scream as my lungs fill with superheated air and my sight grows dark. To be a coward no more.